Mermaids throughout time have been considered guardians and avengers of women and predictors of storms and future events. As true water spirits they can replenish our energy and be called upon to assist within the magick of water and Lunar energies. They refresh, clean and renew our spirits. Female Mer-people, often called water nymphs, are not always female nymphs. Mermaids, in the form of water nymphs, work to awaken our deepest emotions, stimulating our compassion and intuition. Each of us has a part within ourselves which is ruled and guarded by water spirits throughout our life.
The history of the Mer-world is ancient, reaching back as far as we have acknowledged and felt the sea’s magickal attraction. Surprisingly to most, the earliest evidence recalls the male of the species first. He is called the Sea-God Oannes (or Ea), the “great fish of the ocean,” who was also the Sun-God, seen rising from out of the ocean each day and disappearing again back beneath the waves each night. Oannes was worshipped by the Babylonians in recorded history from around 5000 BCE. It is believed Oannes taught mankind about the arts and sciences.
The ancient Syrian Goddess, Atargatis, is a symbiotic Moon Goddess and was the first officially recorded Mermaid listed within history. She was depicted with a fish’s tail and fish where her sacred totem. It is not unusual that this Moon-Goddess was depicted as a Mermaid, for the tides ebb and flow with the moon.
There is belief that during the suppression of Pagan deities, Mermaids and other supernatural beings also considered insignificant, were not seen as a threat to the growth and popularity of Christian beliefs and doctrine. Some historians and writers even go so far as to report that the Church actually believed in the Mermaid mythology. This comes from evidence found in ancient Church records depicting manuscripts and drawings on the existence of Mermaids and the Mer-World.
Mermaids are the symbols of feminism, beauty, sexuality and fertility; however, the male-dominated Christian Church used the symbol of the Mermaid to turn people from sin and the temptations of the flesh. According to T.K., “Mermaids are represented in early Irish and Christian medieval and post-medieval art, frequently as a warning to Christians against the sins of vanity, pride and lust.”
Mer-Magick In ancient wisdoms, Mer-people worked with the Magickal essence of the Moon. Mer-Magick was used for Shape shifting and Transformation, and with time has become a nearly lost tradition. Mer-Magick is empowering and can be found within the sounds of the ocean waves and her creatures. The power can be found within the taste and smell of the sea as well as the movement of her waters. The reflection of the Moon on her waves and her surface is also a point of empowerment. Anything related to the sea is a source of power for Mer-Magick and those who call upon it. Mer-Magick has its greatest power and its greatest energy potency during the Full Moon phase. Full Moons are approximately 14 days after New Moons and the energy lasts from three days before to three days after the actual Full Moon. The magick best worked within this time is for prophecy, protection, and divination or any working that needs extra magickal energy. This phase is also a good time to work magick for love, wisdom, manifesting goals, passion, healing, strength and power. The primary colors of Mer-Magick are aqua, blue, cream and sea foam green. The planetary colors for Mer-Magic using Cancer are silver and white. The purpose within Cancer is the emotions, influence, fertility and lunar energy. Colors of Pisces are sea green and mauve. The planetary energies used are for escapism, entertainment, confusion, spirituality, psychic development and past-life regression work. Scorpio’s color is dark red. The purpose within Scorpio is for the work of intensity, stability, making plans, merging, fertility, lust and secrets. For magickal work, calling on the energies of Mer-Magick, Monday is considered the day corresponding within this power. To a degree this is equal with the corresponding day employed with Moon Magick. Any day under the Full Moon stage of the moon is amazingly enhanced and excellent for calling the powers utilized within Mer-Magick. I have found that working with the tides can be like a secret key for the working of Mer-Magick. Your magick, whatever it may be, is excellently enhanced by means of the natural rhythm of the tides. Drawing energies uses the incoming of high tide while ridding or banishing uses the outgoing tide and the parallels go on. Mer-Magick for calling/drawing something or someone to you – love, money, power or people – should be worked when the tide is coming in. Mer-Magick for strength, energy, power and growth should be worked at high tide. This is to assure that you are working for the highest possible success in whatever the need might be. Mer-Magick for ridding yourself of problems, fears, banishing and cleansings – by means of cleansing your inner self – should be cast upon the waters of the outgoing tide. In this way the tide carries away all the undesired fragments of life. Mer-Magick for balancing your life-force, focusing and clearing metaphysical sight, which is contained within magick or others, should be worked on the low tide and when the waters are as calm as possible. This is a time when all the things we hide inside the shallows of our lives can be seen or have been washed up within the waves of life. As with the Moon, Mer-Magick’s planetary corresponding hours are 9 am to noon and 9 pm to midnight. These hours are best for: land cultivation, like gardening or farming; seeking favors from the feminine gender; attending to family matters; the needs of mothers, sisters and daughters; artistic pursuits; starting out on long journeys and the starting of a new business venture. The gems corresponding with Mer-Magick include: pearl, shell, emerald, coral, lapis, blue crystal, jade and opal. Herbs corresponding with Mer-Magick include: bladderwrack, Atlantic kelp, Norwegian kelp, sea salt, Irish moss (chondrus crispus), agar, algae and seaweed.
Green Witchcraft is a term often used interchangeably (albeit incorrectly) with the descriptor Hedge Witch. There are certain similarities between the paths but the fundamental core of each path is very different. Where the Hedge Witch is focused on journeying to the Otherworld and receiving wisdom from the spirits she encounters, the Green Witch’s focus is much more concerned with the physical realm and the Earth on which she lives.
The path of the Green Witch is a path of Nature and of growing things. The Green Witch will likely have a good understanding of plant life and herbalism and she will have acquired knowledge and experience in relation to both growing individual plants and herbs and using them to best effect once harvested. Many Green Witches dislike the idea of buying plants and herbs ready harvested as they believe the relationship between the grower and the plant is integral to the results that can be achieved with the plant or herb. To this end a Green Witch is likely to be a witch who enjoys gardening.
A Green Witch’s relationship with the Earth goes deeper than just the work she does with plant life. The Green Witch will utilise other natural objects from the world in her workings. She will use rocks, crystals, animal parts and even fossils to cast her magic. She is also likely to make use of the weather in the form of snow, bottled rain, hailstones, morning dew and parched earth. The Green Witch is likely to work with the four elements and this may take the form of using representations of Earth, Air, Fire and Water in her workings or invoking the spirits of the elements in her rituals. A Green Witch may/may not invoke deity depending on her personal conviction. A Green Wiccan will undoubtedly worship deity as this is a key element of what it is to identify as Wiccan. Some Green Witches choose to honour Pan (The Greek God of hunting) or Gaia (The Greek Goddess who according to mythology gave birth to the Earth and who is the source of the ancient inspiration for what we would now term as Mother Nature).
It would be incorrect to say that every Green Witch works with the fey but many of them do choose to. Fairies are often viewed as land spirits and offerings are made to them in return for their help in looking after plots of earth or woodland. A Green Witch may choose to develop a relationship with the land spirits on the area where she lives or works and may make gifts of honey or brightly coloured ribbon to keep the good will of the faery folk.
The environment is an important concern for most Green Witches. This is true in both the respect of their own immediate personal environment and the state of the Earth at large. The Green Witch is likely to live in a dwelling with plants (ideally with a garden but if this is not possible you can usually recognise a Green Witch by the pots of herbs and plants growing on every window sill…) If she can, a Green Witch will favour natural materials over man made and use Earth friendly sources of building materials. A Green Witch is very likely to be environmentally aware and will limit her footprint on the Earth as much as possible. There is an echo of living in simpler times with Green Witchery – a link back to the traditional witches of old who grew their own produce and who tended their own lands and livestock.
The energy of the earth is utilised in the workings of a Green Witch and she may work with key sources of that energy such as ley lines or stone circles. She is unlikely to be inclined to work indoors as she sees the primary source of her power as the link between herself and the Earth. As such any ritual she takes part in is likely to be undertaken outdoors.
Magic is another force in nature that has existed for thousands of years ago. Our ancestors have performed various acts of magic to make their lives easier and to cure their diseases. There is also white magic that aims to bring positive results such as calling rain. Others also perform this to find love especially when they want a person to fall in love with them using their love potions.
White magic is done only by experts called priestesses who aim to cast good spells and achieve their goals in life. Apart from them, there are also witch and wizard doctors who perform this type of magic.
How can this type of magic be performed?
There are certain rites and rituals followed by these practitioners when they do this magic. They also use different charms and talismans to make their magic even more effective.
If you want to learn this type of magic, there are certain factors that you should think of. Of course you have to seek for the help of an expert who can teach you proper ways on how to do this magic. Since there are many rituals and rites involved in doing this magic, you only have to find the best teacher if you want to learn it fast.
There are a lot of individuals who want to learn this magic but they are quite uncertain on where and how to start. It is important to note that white magic has four distinct steps that you have to remember. The witch places him or herself in the presence of a particular deity or god. When he is in his presence, he has to read some chants found in the book of shadows. While in this act, he has to do a particular rite depending on the outcome that he is looking forward for in his spell or ritual.
However, witches aiming to achieve positive results from their rites and rituals should have a clear and pure intention. In order to be successful, one has to have a clean mind and heart. Also, there are potions and herbs that are used with white magic. This is to make the magic work for them perfectly.
In addition, there are also charms and spells that are chanted in a specific manner, so someone must do it in the right manner to achieve positive results. If any of the important factors are not present in the magic, the desired result shall not be obtained.
Magic spells are cast for specific reasons using a particular manner to have positive results. If you are serious in this type of magic, you can consult your expert witch found on her website. Perform white magic for the goodwill of others or yourself.
White Witches
White magic is different from black magic because of its purposes. While the latter induces harm or pain from the other party, white magic is cast for the welfare or the good of the person who will benefit from it. Fortunately, a white witch has more power than a black witch. In this case, we can expect that the good will always win over the bad. Learn more on these witches here.
The element of Fire is both creative and destructive, its qualities are Brightness, Thinness and Motion and its mode is Active. It is fire that we and our ancestors used to warm our homes, we use it to cook our food, we sit around it to ward of the darkness of night, and it fuels our passions. Fire, unlike the other elements, does not exist in a natural state. Its physical form can only take place by consuming some other element. Fire is the transformer, converting the energy of other objects into other forms: heat, light, ash, and smoke.
To feel the manifestations of this power, go out on sunny day and feel the warmth and light of the Sun, hear the crackling of logs and smell of smoke from a burning fire. As you gaze into the transformational flame of a candle, immerse yourself in the energy of Fire. Fire is the natural element of animals and mankind, and they “have, in their natures, a most fiery force, and also spring from celestial sources.”
In order to gain benefit from the energy of this element, we need to control Fire’s destructive aspect. When we light a candle, we are not only calling upon the energy of Fire, we are also limiting its power. This destructive aspect should not be seen as negative, forest fires, actually help, clearing away underbrush and encouraging seeds lying dormant within the Earth to burst forth into new life.
Fire is a masculine element, its aspects being change, passion, creativity, motivation, will power, drive and sensuality. It is sexuality, both physical and spiritual. Fire is used in spells, rituals and candle magic for healing, purification, sex, breaking bad habits or destroying illness and disease. Fire is the element of authority and leadership.
The properties of Fire, Heat, Making things fruitful, Celestial light, Giving Life to all things. Its opposite the Infernal Fire are a parching heat, consuming all things and darkness, making all things barren.
The Element Fire and its Natural Qualities
The Eement of Fire is a light, active element and is contrary to Water. It is associated with the qualities of brightness, thinness and motion.
Correspondences
DIRECTION: South – the place of heat. TYPE OF ENERGY: Projective. BASIC NATURE: Purifying, destructive, cleansing, energetic, sexual, forceful. Heat is a manifestation of this element. COLOUR: Red – from the colour of flames. PLACES: Deserts, hot springs, volcanoes, ovens, fireplaces, bedrooms (for sex), weight rooms, locker rooms, saunas, athletic fields. RITUALS: Protection, courage, sex, energy, strength, authority, banishing negativity. RITUAL FORMS: Burning or smouldering; heating. HERBS: Stinging, thorny or hot, as thistles, chilli peppers and bouganvillia; desert-dwelling, as cacti; stimulating, as coffee beans; generally seeds. STONES: Red or fiery, as in jasper; volcanic, as in lava; clear, as in quartz crystal. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Guitar, all stringed instruments. CREATURES: Snake, cricket, lizard, praying mantis, ladybug, bee, scorpion, shark. SEASON: Summer – the time of heat. TIME: Noon. MAGICKAL TOOL: Knife/Athame. SENSE: Sight. NATURAL SYMBOLS: Flame, lava, a heated object. TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Candle, storm, time and star. GODDESSES: Brigit, Pele, Vesta. GODS: Agni, Hepaetus, Horus, Promtheus, Vulcan.
Water Witches are sometimes called Sea Witches, but many of them find a calling with inland creeks, rivers, and lakes. It is rare for them to limit themselves to any one type of body of water. They generally align with all forms, including rain.
In most mythologies, human sprang from the Earth, but the gods themselves came from water. Egyptian theory states that the sun god Re was born from the primordial waters. Today, scientists can back that theory, NASA scientists theorize that water exists in heavy quantities in the universe. It works as a coolant. The water vapors in outer space for the condensing of clouds. Once a cloud condenses enough, it becomes a star.
Water reflects, the Water Witch does the same. If you yell at her, she will yell back at you. If you are kind to her well, she will be kind and treat you well in return. She is very fair. She shares many qualities with her sister Earth Witch, as the Earth is 90 percent water. Among those qualities is the core belief of taking complete responsibility for her actions. The Water Witch accepts that every move she makes can cause ripples across the surface of the water and moves accordingly.
Water is considered a feminine force, and the Water Witch may prefer an alliance with the Goddess, all the while recognizing and maintaining that the God is within the Goddess. She cans sometimes relate closely to Dianic Witches in this preference.
The Water Witch can see things that those on other paths cannot. In fact, the human sense of sight belongs in her realm. Just as the seas teem with life that we have yet to discover and understand, the Water Witch know s that there is much more to our world than what is within our eyesight! While she can be highly superstitious, for the most part she simply knows that there is more just waiting to be discovered, as well as some things that humanity has known about and forgotten over the ages. The old phrase “out of the blue” speaks volumes about the ability of the Water Witch to tune in to her intuition. She is often very gifted in divination practices. Tarot is usually her divinatory tool of choice, but she also has a talent for dowsing.
The Water Witch sees little that she considers an obstacle. She understands that her fate is in her hands, and if she cannot flow through something, she will flow around it. Once her mind is made up, very little can stop her from obtaining what she wants. Because water exists in three forms on Earth, The Water Witch can be considered a formidable force. She will not admit to any weaknesses.
The Water Witch has a close link to the feminine side of nature. She understands reproduction and is akin to her sister Earth Witch in this manner as well. Menstruation falls in the realm of the Water Witch. Because of this, she is instrumental in moon-lodge practices and coming-of-age rites. Her sister Earth Witch may focus more on the rebirth cycle, while the Water Witch is more in touch with creation.
The Water Witch specializes in healing, cleansing, beauty, emotions, intuition and energy. Her magickal style is usually based on instinct. If the feeling hits her to perform a cleansing, she will. She does not necessarily worry about correspondences and timing. Her timing is completely her own–she will not be rushed by others into decisions or action. Schooled in water magick, ice magick and snow magick, the Water Witch can tell you all about the role of water in the metaphysical and physical realms.
Winter is the season when the Water Witch’s power is at its peak. She holds within herself the ability to transform fluidity to solid form during the winter, the same way that water turns to ice. It is during this season that the Water Witch should turn her view inward and evaluate her goals. She often redefines herself through the process. Because of this, a Water Witch grows stronger every year. She understands that just as dry ice is sticky, it is her role to hold thing together.
Throughout the winter months, the Water Witch is abnormally busy, even for her active lifestyle. Because she is at her highest power and incarnated in all three of her forms during these months, she may be short of temper. When you add to that the fact that artificial heat (fire, an evaporating influence on water) is usually pumped into the home during this time and families tend to be cooped up in the same space, you may have one cranky, stressed-out Water Witch on your hands. She longs for room to spread out and flow. A simple snowfall can ease her mind and soothe her spirit; she draws strength from it. If that is not an option, a long bath or a cup of hot tea usually helps. Rest assured that if you visit her in the winter months, she will be a very gracious hostess, regardless of the timing. The Water Witch is known for her generous hospitality.
Her home décor is usually unthemed, with whimsy being the main rule. The Water Witch may have a quirky collection of glass objects, prisms (she tends to like sparkly things), tons of throw pillows and an aquarium. Cool blues and greens are often primary colors in both her wardrobe and her home.
Due to her busy lifestyle, the Water Witch frequently has to let the housework slide somewhat. Although she prefers all things to be clean, she also understands that there must be “salt in the sea.” In other words, a small amount of dirt is inevitable, and she is able to live with that comfortably. She absolutely cannot stand clutter, though. It drives her to distraction.
Another common trait of the Water Witch is a quirky sense of humor. It simply cannot be defined. Some of the things she says seem to come from outer space in their relation to the topic, yet they can make you laugh as nothing else will. This is intentional–the Water Witch is lighthearted. But just when you begin to think she has never had a deep thought in her life, she will prove you wrong. When it comes to serious conversation, the Water Witch can often put her finger on an aspect of the situation that the other Elemental Witches do not see. The Water Witch is very wise.
Like her mythical brethren the mermaids and water nymphs, the Water Wise tends to love long hair. She may keep it pulled back in a ponytail due to a lack of time, but she lets it grow nonetheless. The effects that water has on the body are directly in line with the metaphysical attributes of the Water Witch. Usually beautiful, she is often younger looking in appearance than in age and has a long memory and attention span and bright, shining eyes.
Because the Water Witch always considers every side of an argument before making up her mind, she may be slow to assume a position. Rest assured that when a Water Witch states her opinion., it has been well thought out. She open-minded and fair. Her strength lies in her dual nature an a ability to see the points or view of others. And like water, she will find her way into all of the small nooks and crannies of a situation. She may initially choose an answer based on instinct but if new facts come to light, she will often change her mind. She is flexible.
Those on the water path often find a calling in helping others. They make wonderful therapists, psychiatrists, obstetricians, pediatricians or service personnel. Often people are attracted to their soothing nature and come to them for advice. Like a waterbed, a reflecting pool , or a relaxing bath, Water Witches project an aura of serenity and comfort.
The Water Witch may be seen as moody, but like the sea herself, she is often in motion. She rarely slows down She is full of energy and always on the go. And like the sea, her moods swing with the tides. The moon holds sway over the tides, and one can easily draw a parallel between the moon and the Water Witch’s emotional patterns.
The element of Air is vital to human survival, without it we would all perish, its aspects are Thinness, Motion and Darkness and its quality is Active. Air is the manifestation of movement, freshness, communication and of the intelligence. Sound is another manifestation of this element. As an element, it is invisible, but its reality can be felt in the air that we breathe in every day.
To connect with the power of this element, find a place with clean air and breathe deeply, touch a feather or inhale the fragrance of a heavily scented flower. Let yourself experience the energy of this element, and reflect that we also possess Air energy within ourselves.
In magical terms, Air is the power of the mind, the force of intellect, inspiration, imagination. It is ideas, knowledge, dreams and wishes. Air is the element of new life and new possibilities and is essential to spells and rituals of travel, instruction, finding lost items, some types of divination, and freedom. Air aids us in visualization, a vital technique in magic.
Air is a masculine element and governs the magick of the four winds. It is the vital spirit passing through all things, giving life to all things, moving and filling all things. Thus Hebrew doctors ascribe it not as an element but as a medium or glue that binds all things together.
The Element Air and its Natural Qualities
The Element of Air is a light, active element and is contrary to Earth. It is associated with the qualities of darkness, thinness and motion.
Correspondences
DIRECTION: East – the place of sunrise. TYPE OF ENERGY: Projective. BASIC NATURE: Flying, moving, fresh, intelligent, suspending. Sound is a manifestation of this element. COLOUR: Yellow – the yellow of the sun, the sky at dawn PLACES: Mountaintops, wind-swept plains, cloudy skies, high towers, airports, schools, libraries, offices, travel agencies, psychiatrist’s offices. RITUALS: Travel, instruction, study, freedom, knowledge, recovering lost items. RITUAL FORMS: Tossing objects into the air, suspending tools in high places, fanning light objects, visualization, positive thinking. HERBS: Fragrant, as many flowers; pungent, as in culinary herbs such as dill; airy, finely-veined, or wind-swept; generally leaves. STONES: Light stones, such as pumice; transparent stones, such as mica. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Flute, all wind instruments. CREATURES: Spider, most birds, winged insects. SEASON: Spring – the time of freshness. TIME: Dawn. MAGICKAL TOOL: Wand. SENSE: Hearing, smell. NATURAL SYMBOLS: A feather, incense smoke, fragrant flowers. TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Divination, concentration, visualization, wind magic. GODDESSES: Aradia, Arianrhod, Cardea, Nuit, Urania. GODS: Enlil, Kheohera, Mercurym, Shu, Thoth.
The Element of Water is a great necessity, without it nothing can live. Only earth and water can bring forth a living soul. Such is the greatness of water that spiritual regeneration cannot be done without it.
Thales of Miletus concluded that water was the beginning of all things and the first of all elements and most potent because of its mastery over the rest. Pliny said “Water swallow up the earth, extinguishes the flame, ascends on high, and by stretching forth as clouds challenges the heavens for their own, and the same falling down, becomes the cause of all things that grow in the earth.
Water is a cleansing, healing, psychic, and loving element. It is the feeling of friendship and love that pours over us when we are with our family, friends and loved ones. When we swim it is water that supports us, when we are thirsty, it is water the quenches our thirst, another manifestation of this element is the rainstorms that drench us, or the dew formed on plants after the sun has set.
The power of the energy of Water, can be felt by tasting pure spring water, moving you hand through a stream, lake, pool, or bowl full of water. You can feel its cool liquidity; it’s soft and loving touch, this motion and fluidity is the quality of Air within Water. This Water energy is also contained within ourselves, our bodies being mostly composed of Water.
As well as being vital for life, within the energy of this element is contained the essence of love. Love is the underlying reason for all magic. Water is love.
Water is a feminine element, it also the element of emotion and subconscious, of purification, intuition, mysteries of the self, compassion and family. It is psychic ability; water can be used as a means of scrying or as an object for meditation. Water is important in spells and rituals of friendship, marriage, happiness, fertility, healing, pleasure, psychic abilities and spells involving mirrors.
The Element Water and its Natural Qualities
The Element of Water is a heavy, passive element and is contrary to Fire. It is associated with the qualities of darkness, thickness and motion.
Correspondences
DIRECTION: West – the place of the setting sun. TYPE OF ENERGY: Receptive. BASIC NATURE: Flowing, purifying, healing, soothing, loving. COLOUR: Blue – from the hue of deep water PLACES: Lakes, springs, streams, rivers, beaches, oceans, wells, swimming pools, bathtubs, showers, bedrooms (for sleep), health spas, steam rooms, fountains. RITUALS: Purification, love, psychic awareness, dreams, sleep, peace, marriage, friendships. RITUAL FORMS: Dilution, placing into water, washing away, bathing. HERBS: Aquatic, such as water lilies and seaweed; fleshy, as in succulents and lettuce; loving, as in rose and gardenia; generally flowers. STONES: Transparent or translucent, as in amethyst and aquamarine; blue, as in blue tourmaline. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Cymbal, bell, all resonant metals. CREATURES: Cat, frog, turtle, dolphin, whale, otter, seal, dugong; most fish and shellfish. SEASON: Autumn – the time of harvest. TIME: Dusk. MAGICKAL TOOL: Cup, the cauldron. SENSE: Taste. NATURAL SYMBOLS: Shells, a cup of water. TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Sea, ice, snow, fog, mirror, magnet. GODDESSES: Aphrodite, Isis, Mariamne, Mari, Tiamat, Yemaya. GODS: Dylan, Ea, Manannan, Osiris, Neptune, Poseidon.
The basis and foundation of all the elements is the Earth. The Earth is the object; subject and receptacle of all celestial rays and influences and in it are the seeds of all things. It is made fruitful by the other elements and the heavens, and brings forth all things of itself. It is the first fountain from whence all things spring; it is the centre, foundation and mother of all things.
Earth is the element of stability, foundations and of the body. The Earth is the realm of wisdom, knowledge, strength, growth and prosperity. It is also the physical Earth on which we live and the very heart of life. It is essential in spells and rituals of prosperity, business, fertility and stability. Earth is a feminine element and governs stone and knot magic.
The Earth can be viewed as our mother, with its fertile and nurturing farmland, providing all Earth’s creatures with nourishment and shelter. The earth takes on qualities of the other elements, whether it is the dry, dusty and hot aspects of Fire and Air, as is found in deserts. Or the moist and fluid aspects of Water, in swamps, marshlands and fens. In its physical manifestations, such as stones, rocks, crystals and gems, the element of Earth represents the densest of the elements.
The Earth is the womb from which all things spring, pressing your hand against fresh soil, you can feel its vitality, stability and earthiness. In its fertile soil, we’ve grown the food that provides life, on its surface we live out our lives, and when the time to return to the Goddess and God comes, we are interred in the earth.
We couldn’t exist in this form without the Earth. But our planet is simply a manifestation of this element on the physical plane, each of the elements exist in the astral planes as pure energy. This Earth energy not only exists within ourselves but also throughout the universe at large.
The Element Earth and its Natural Qualities
The Element of Earth is a heavy, passive element and is contrary to air. It is associated with the qualities of darkness, thickness and quietness.
Correspondences
DIRECTION: North – the place of greatest darkness. TYPE OF ENERGY: Receptive. BASIC NATURE: Fertile, moist, nurturing, stabilizing, grounding. Gravity is a manifestation of this element. COLOUR: Green – from the colour of living plants PLACES: Caves, canyons, forests, groves, valleys, fields, farms, gardens, parks, plant nurseries, farmer’s markets, kitchens, baby nurseries, basements, mines, holes. RITUALS: Money, prosperity, fertility, stability, grounding, employment. RITUAL FORMS: Burying, planting, making images in soil or sand. HERBS: Earth-smelling plants, such as patchouli and vetivert; mosses and lichens; nuts; dry and stiff plants; heavy, low-growing plants; generally roots. STONES: Heavy or opaque, as in coal; green, as in emerald and peridot. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Drum, all percussion instruments. CREATURES: Dogs, horse, earthworm, gopher, ant, cow, burrowing animals. SEASON: Winter – the time of darkness. TIME: Night. MAGICKAL TOOL: Pentacle. SENSE: Touch. NATURAL SYMBOLS: Salt, clay dish of fresh soil, rocks, sheaves of wheat, acorns. TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Gardening, magnet, image, stone, tree, knot, binding. GODDESSES: Ceres, Demeter, Gaea, Mah, Nephthys, Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea, Rhiannon. GODS: Adonis, Athos, Arawn, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Marduk, Pan, Tammuz.
To See Ghosts: Carry lavender and inhale its scent.
To allay fears: Carry a mixture of nettle and yarrow.
To Detect Witches: Carry a sachet of Rue, maidenhair, agrimony, broom-straw, and ground ivy.
To Be Courageous: Wear a fresh borage flower, or carry mullein.
To Avoid Military Service: Wear the 4-leaved clover if you wish to avoid duty.
To Ensure Safety and Protection on A Journey: Comfrey worn or carried will safeguard you.
To Prevent Storms and Wreckage While At Sea: Put a clove of garlic in your purse or in your pocket. In the South Pacific or in Hawaii wear a garland of ti leaves.
To Guard against Rape: Wear the heather to avoid all acts of passion.
To Keep One from Dreaming: Hang a sprig of lemon verbena around the neck.
To Conceive: Wear the mistletoe, the cyclamen, or the bistort.
To Prevent Weariness while Walking: Put mugwort in the shoe.
To Keep Venomous Beasts and Wild Animals Afar: Wear avens or mullien.
To Keep Others from Deceiving You: Wear the pimpernel or snapdragon.
To Keep Disease Afar: Wear a sprig of rue around the neck.
To Enable A Soldier To Escape His Enemies: Wear the vervain and you shall accomplish this.
To Avoid Being Sent To The Gallows: Wear or carry a carnation.
To Ensure Victory: Wear woodruff to win.
To Ensure That Friendly Words Are Spoken To You: Wear the heliotrope.
To Enter the Underworld: Carry an apple, or the branch of an apple tree that bears buds, flowers, and fully ripened fruit.
To Regain Lost Manhood: Carry an acorn or mandrake root.
To Remain Youthful: Carry an acorn.
To Prevent Drunkenness: Wear a chaplet of saffron, crocus, parsley, or rue to prolong your enjoyment.
To See Fairies: Gather wild thyme and carry it with you, or put it on the eyelids (with your eyes closed) and sleep on a fairy hill.
To Be A Successful Fisherman: Carry a bit of the hawthorn.
To See A Unicorn: As this beast usually lives among the ash trees, carry a bit of the wood or leaves and you may see one. Or lie down among ashes and place one of its leaves on your chest and wait for one to make itself known.
One of the most common tools of the craft – far more common and worldwide than the knife, the wand, the cup and the disk – is the magic rings or the rings of power.
J. R. R. Tolkien describes them quite accurately in his books, although, of course, in a way more dramatic than reality for the sake of the stories. For example Tolkien says that the ring changes size, which is somewhat true, at least concerning the feeling it gives. He also says that it becomes heavier when it is overwhelmed by energy and power, as it happens when Frodo is in Mordor.
This is also a feeling that the magic rings give. I suppose that if we put them on a scale the weight will be the same, but it feels heavier when wearing it or holding it. He also describes the ring to be addictive, which is also true, so be careful. Not only the user finds it more and more precious and is less willing to give it away, but also the user may start thinking that all his or her power is generated by the ring. This is also one real aspect of the addictive power of the magic rings. In the story, in the case of Frodo, all the power that was given to Frodo was indeed generated by the One Ring, but in the case of Lady Galadriel this was not true, as Galadriel, and her magic power, are more ancient than the rings, the humans, the elfs and Sauron himself, but Galadriel comes to think that when the One Ring will be destroyed, then the power of her own ring will also cease to exist as it is bound to the One Ring (which is true in the story) and therefore her own power will cease to exist, which is only an illusion, as her power was not generated by the ring she wears. Also, Tolkien describes the rings, especially the One Ring, to have a will of their own, which in some cases can also be true. Finally, Tolkien states that the rings prolong the life of the owner – with the One Ring making his owner practically immortal – which is also a common belief, although I cannot say if this is actually true or not.
So knowing the dangers of this instrument of magic, one may still decide to make one.
Here I am going to give you a simplified way to create a magic ring, or a ring of power. The way I am offering is very similar to creating a ring talisman.
First of all decide what this ring’s power will be. Then you must decide where you are going to wear it. In general terms, if its purpose is to bring a blessing of any kind in you, you should wear it in your receiving hand, which is most probably the weaker one. If you want this ring to help you express a power or quality, you should wear it in the projective hand, which is most usually the strongest hand. For example, if you want a ring that keeps your health and vitality in good condition you’ll be wearing the ring in the receiving hand, but if you want the ring to empower your healing powers, for you to be able to heal others (and yourself) you should be wearing the ring in the projective hand.
Then it is the finger one ring should be put. The most common fingers are the index and the ring finger. And this is quite understandable, as you will find out right away. Planetary speaking, the thumb holds and expresses the power of Venus. The index holds and expresses the power of Jupiter, the middle the power of Saturn, the ring finger the power of Sun and the pinky or little finger the power of Mercury. Mars and Moon don’t have their fingers, so if you want to make a magic ring under their power you should wear it in a compatible finger to the purpose of the ring.
Then you should find or create a ring that feels right to you for the purpose. I believe that if the symbolism is strong enough in your mind and soul, this is a perfect ring for you, but if you want to create a ring under stricter magical rules, create a ring made from the metal of the planet with a stone of the planet on it.
Do not write a curse on the ring as Sauron did, but you can inscribe a spell on it or just the power this ring brings to you or helps you express.
Now buy one, two, three, four, five, six, eight, or nine candles representing the power you are summoning in the ring. Also buy 8 red candles which will represent the magic power. Make a circle putting the eight red candles on the 8 directions; those are East, Southeast, South etc.
Inside the circle put the candles representing the power you are summoning. If you use one candle put it in the centre of the circle and the ring at its base, if you are using more, put them in a diameter, a triangle, etc, with the ring in the centre of the circle.
Use frankincense for incense or a combination of frankincense and myrrh, and preferably anoint all the candles and the ring with the same oil. If possible, anoint the ring with your zodiac oil as well, and/or an oil representing its power.
Light the eight red candles starting from the eastern one and forming a clockwise circle saying: “From the eight corners of the Earth I summon hear the magic power to come here and enter in this ring of mine and make it a magic ring.”
Now light the candles of the power you are filling the ring with saying: “I summon (the power of the ring) to come here and enter this ring, and transform it to a magic tool that (say what the ring will be doing for you)”.
Now, sit down and visualise the magic power and the power of the ring coming there inside the circle and entering the ring, filling it and staying in it. Keep the visualisation for as long as possible, without feeling tired.
Let the candles completely burn down. While the candles still burning repeat the visualisation as often as you can.
When the candles are finished, the ring is ready. Wear it for at least seven days all day long and then always keep it near you, in your pocket, in your handbag etc. Don’t let anybody to touch the ring while you are not wearing it. When you want to use its power, wear the ring, rub it, and tell it what you want it to do.
Have fun and be aware of the addictive power of the magic rings.
I am not silly enough to suppose that everyone, or even a majority among Witches, will agree with everything I will be saying here. However, I have been thinking about this question for quite a while, and I think that some systematic consideration of the issues involved can provide some clarity.
The vast majority of Pagans in America are those who call themselves Witches. But what exactly does “Witch” mean? As linguists know, the etymology of a word often has very little to do with how the word is actually used. Instead, one must consider what people might mean when they use the word.
First, many people do still use “witch” to mean “someone who worships the Devil and/or evil and who engages in gratuitous malevolence.” Present-day Witches generally feel that such a definition of “witch” results merely from Christian politics and propaganda. True, there are now “Satanic” churches, the most prominent having been Anton LeVay’s Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, and its members do call themselves “witches,” which certainly confuses outsiders. However, as J. Gordon Melton has pointed out, the members of these churches are actually atheistic, hedonistic, and egoistic in their ethics. Pagan Witches regard Satanist witches as Christian heretics and not Pagan at all. Setting all that aside, we can look at the more positive usages of the term.
First, “witch” is often used to mean “someone who practices some form of magic.” But “folk magic” is ubiquitous, and those who practice it usually consider themselves to be devout members of the faith community around them, just with a special gift. They very rarely seem to think that their magical practice constitutes a unique religion. Nevertheless, there are quite a few such “magical witches,” and they logically must be considered part of the Craft movement.
Second, “witch” is often used to mean “someone who has and uses unusual psychic talents.” It can thus be applied to Spiritualist mediums, to clairvoyant readers, to diviners, and so on. Again, such people almost always consider them to be members of the surrounding faith community, just with a special talent, and likewise do not regard that talent as constituting a different religion.
Third, “witch” is now (and only recently) used to mean “someone who honors or worships the Old Gods” of whatever pantheon, though “Pagan” is also used with this meaning. Here the self-concept is that one is pursuing a religious path different from that of the surrounding community, but such pursuit does not necessarily involve any use of magic or psychic talents.
It is only within the Pagan movement as inspired by Gardnerian Witchcraft that these three different meanings have been bundled together into the current concept of the Pagan Witch as practicing a unique and magical religion.
At first, before the rise of the festival movement in America about 1980, a fourth meaning of “Witch” was included in this bundle: “someone who has been initiated as a member of an organized group (yes, a coven) that practices Witchcraft as a Pagan religion or as an apprentice of a master teacher of witchcraft.” Once the festivals had evolved to provide people with a way to celebrate the Wheel of the Year, and once enough “how to” books had been published to give people all the information they needed to practice the Craft as a solitary or only within their own families, joining a coven was no longer the only way to follow Wicca or a more generic form of Witchcraft as a spiritual path.
There had been some solitaries even in the 1960s and 1970s, but as a result of the festivals, around 1980 the movement divided into two categories, one being a laity, who now constitute at least 90 percent of all Witches in America, the other being those who have been initiated into and practice the Craft within a coven or equivalent group. However, a First-Degree initiate of a coven is not regarded as having any special authority or expertise, given that anyone can learn from the published books about 99 percent of what that initiate would know. Instead, there is another level of meaning.
The fifth possible meaning of “Witch” is “someone who has attained the highest level of training, ordination, and empowerment in a coven or equivalent group.” This level is generally known as the Third Degree, and those who have earned that degree collectively constitute something like an ordained clergy. Of course, this “clergy” has no way to give orders to or insist on orthodoxy or orthopraxis by the laity. Instead, the recognized leaders in the Craft and the overall Pagan movement are like the coordinators of any voluntary association. They lead by example, by persuasion, and by rewarding the efforts of the members. Hence there is some ambiguity: the terms “Witch” or “Wiccan” can refer to a lay or an initiated or an “ordained” practitioner of the Craft, and the only way to find out which meaning is intended is to ask for clarification.
It is widely (though not universally) believed in the Craft that the three-degree system was adopted by Gardner as part of his revival or reform or founding of Wicca as a modern religion. The three degrees clearly come from Masonry, as do the term “the Craft” and many details of Gardner’s initiation rituals. All the available information indicates that only one initiation was given in pre-Gardnerian witchcraft, followed by a long, usually lifelong, process of learning. One came to be considered an “Elder” or a “Magister” or a “High Priestess” when one had learned enough.
There are some widely known guidelines for how an initiate should be trained in a coven, although they are often embellished, mutated, or simply ignored, and they largely follow the pattern of higher education in European countries. The first step these days is Dedication, roughly equivalent to matriculation, that begins the traditional “year and a day” of training in the beliefs, practices, customs, etc., of that particular coven. If successful, the candidate then receives the First-Degree Initiation at the end of that year, thus becoming an actual member of the coven, a Priest or Priestess, and in that sense a Witch; this is rather like receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
This first initiation then begins a second year of training, now in the more secret or private practices of the coven. At its end, the Second-Degree Initiation is rather like receiving the degree of Master of Arts. As in the medieval universities, this degree empowers one to begin teaching, and in British practice, it is considered the full ordination.
In American practice, the second initiation begins a third year of training, in even more secret and private knowledge and practices. The secrecy is not just mummery. Many Craft Elders believe that the knowledge gained in this third year could possibly be harmful to persons who lack the training needed to use it prudently. I personally believe such caution is salutary, because I do know that there are some things (not very many, but some) known by most Third-Degree Witches that have never been and, one may hope, never will be published.
Having attained this Sublime Degree, one is now entitled to be known as a High Priest or High Priestess; it is somewhat equivalent to receiving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Being a very intellectual religion, the Craft often attracts candidates who already have a conventional Bachelor’s degree, and in getting through the three years of rigorous curriculum used by many covens, the candidate often learns far more than some people do in a Master of Divinity program in many mainstream seminaries. During the last few decades, more and more Third-Degree Priests and Priestesses have gone back to school to earn advanced degrees, in order to become pastors of Pagan churches, chaplains in the military, college professors, and internationally recognized scholars.
However, there is more to the Craft than just being a newly respectable religion for middle-class intellectuals. Tell me, you initiates, did you come to the Craft in order to supposedly work magic by reading a script? In order to take a politically correct attitude toward ecology and the environment? Or were you lured in by the Goddess, by the archetype of Aradia as the rebel against corruption and oppression? Or did you find the Craft because you were sick of being lied to by the established churches? If your primary allegiance is to searching out truth, as mine is, then you are a sixth type of Witch, for which there is not yet an established term.
That’s enough for today. I will expand on this concept of the Sixth Witch in days to come.
The most important tool in Witchcraft is not the athame or the wand, it’s not the cauldron or the herbs, it’s not even the book or the spell—the most important tool in Witchcraft is the mind.
There are many definitions of Witchcraft, but the one I like most is that it’s a spiritual art rooted firmly in psychology and nature. It involves psychology, because it requires you to have control over the mind—the ability to focus, to enter different states of consciousness, to visualize, to create essentially a self-fulfilling prophecy through positive, deliberate brainwashing (for belief not only that you will achieve your goal, but have on some level, is essential). To utilize nature—which includes learning about and working with things such as herbs, roots, crystals, etc.— requires knowledge. To work with energy—that is to learn how to raise natural energies and direct them toward achieving one’s goal— requires knowledge, skill and developed mental discipline in psychic arts.
It is because of this that a student of The Craft should not begin by seeking spells or by gathering tools. In fact, once you’ve studied you’ll know how to construct your own custom-designed spells. With proper study, anything you have on hand can become a potential tool—and if there’s nothing on hand you can work without them. A student of The Craft should dive into two main activities: studying, and training the mind. This article deals with the latter.
Becoming a Witch Witchcraft is something you develop from within. Mindful Meditation Training the mind all begins with starting a meditation regime. The more consistently you keep up with the routine, the more you will benefit from it. If you’re completely new to meditation, it can begin with just 5 minutes per day of focusing on your breath and putting your awareness in the moment. This is the traditional form of meditation, known as mindfulness. You don’t need to force yourself to clear your mind; you don’t need to think about anything—you simply let yourself be firmly rooted in the moment and let thoughts just drift by, as if you’re a tree at the edge of a flowing river. Acknowledge the thoughts as they go past, just don’t let them carry you away.
You can begin to expand the amount of time spent in meditation little by little over the first few weeks until you can do it for up to 30 minutes.
Creative Visualization Once you’ve learned to meditate mindfully, you can move on to visualization. For some people, it’s hard to get a mental picture of something, but visualization doesn’t have to be actually visual. If you prefer, you can focus on an emotion, a physical sensation, a sound, a scent or whatever works for you. The key to visualization in magic is being able to experience the expected results of your spell in some way in your mind– to take your mind to that place in which you have your goal.
For example, if your spell is for financial prosperity, you can visualize an actual image of money in your wallet, or just see the color green (or gold, or whatever you associate with wealth). If you are more of an empath than visual, you might conjure up and hold onto the emotion you would feel if you had the money you needed (joy? Relief?). If you are more auditory than visual, you might imagine the sound of your voice counting your money, or paying your bills. If you’re more of a kinesthetic (tactile) person, you can try to hold on to the memory of what money feels like in your hands—or perhaps the feel of something you associate with riches, such as how satin sheets feel on your skin or how lobster and champagne taste on the tongue. Perhaps your strongest sense is olfactory, and the smell evokes the most powerful sensory experience: the scent of money, or the finest perfume you’ve ever whiffed, or perhaps something earthy like patchouli indicates prosperity to you.
Start working on holding on to your visualization (which ever sensory experience you choose to use) for a little more time in each meditation until you can work your way up to 20 or 30 minutes.
Raising Vibrations One of the most difficult steps in mental training for Witchcraft is to hone your psychic awareness. Namely, you need to reach a point at which you are able to sense energy so that you can begin manipulating it and directing it. Being able to achieve a meditative state will help you raise your vibrations so you’re able to do this.
Another major factor in raising your vibrations is to keep your thoughts positive. Believe it or not, negative thoughts are like an anchor that just drag you down to a lower vibrational frequency. The more you allow yourself to fall into negative thinking patterns, the lower your frequency goes. Hating the world, hating yourself, telling yourself you can’t do it, complaining about everyone, blaming problems on everything, being argumentative, judgmental, fighting with people—this all lowers your vibrations to a point at which it will be difficult to sense energy, let alone control it.
This is where the mindfulness comes back into play, and recent studies confirm this. Being mindful and living in the moment is when we are at our most content. It’s a way to find a center of inner peace.
If you find you have a bad attitude in general, try being mindful during your waking hours, or use positive affirmations while you meditate. This is a way to essentially ‘brainwash’ yourself into having a better attitude, so that you can raise your own vibrational frequency.
Once your vibrational frequency is raised, you’ll find you’re able to better open your chakras, your ability to sense energy will dramatically improve and thus you’ll be ready for the next big step: learning to work with energy (for this is what the entire spell is designed to accomplish: raising, manipulating and directing energy toward the goal).
Before you get any book of spells, before you buy any candles or try any ritual magic, start at the beginning. Strengthen and hone that tool that’s going to make the difference between success and failure every time: the mind. These are the first steps on the road to practicing Witchcraft.
Tiger Eye: is a powerful stone that aids harmony and balance, and helps you to release fear and anxiety. It stimulates taking action, and helps you to make decisions with discernment and understanding, and unclouded by your emotions. Use it for insight and you can be a very lucky person. Tiger eye may bring good luck and protection from the evil eye to the wearer. It also known to bring clear thinking and insight.
Traditionally it was carried as an amulet against curses or ill-wishing, and is known to give you courage, self confidence and strength of will. It enhances creativity and is one of the stones that aid kundalini awakening.
It is an effective stone to assist you to accomplish goals. If you are prone to criticizing your own actions… you may be experiencing a lack of self worth. This stone may help you, as it will infuse you with confidence, brightness and optimism that may relieve these feelings of lack.
This is a stone that helps us to be more active, mentally as well as physically… and its major work is within the lower chakras. It will stimulate the base chakra, sacral chakra and the solar plexus chakra, where its energy has a very powerful effect. The vibration of ‘the will’… which is the predominant energy of the solar plexus chakra… is strong within Tigers Eye Stone. It is a strong stone to aid you with all of the basic survival needs… and it assists you to enhance your strength, and your ability to work through difficult times
Blue Tigers Eye: (also called Hawk’s Eye, Tiger’s Eye, Tigereye) is a very soothing stone as it aids in reducing stress, increasing calm and easing anxiety. Shimmery Blue Tiger Eye can illuminate issues that may have been difficult to see otherwise. Blue Tiger Eye helps to open, clear and align the mid to higher range chakras, which will assist in speaking with clarity and acting from a place of integrity.
Blue Tiger Eye works extremely well with the Throat and Third Eye chakras, providing insight into internal conflicts and emotional or mental issues. Blue Tiger Eye brings a “go with the flow” attitude, aiding in relief from fears, phobias and hot tempers. Use Blue Tiger Eye to balance the male/female, Yin/Yang energies. Use Blue Tiger Eye to increase all forms of psychic abilities, especially clairvoyance, astral travel and remote viewing. Like all Tiger Eye, Blue Tiger Eye can be used in prosperity rituals around a candle, or in manifestation grids.
If you are nervous about giving a presentation or speaking in public, wear this a piece Blue Tiger Eye to help relax your Throat Chakra, clear any blockages, and form a strong connection with the Third-Eye Chakra, allowing for easier access to the intuition. Because of its association with the Hawk, Blue Tiger Eye is especially helpful to ease one’s fear of flying. It enables one to expand their horizons, often leading to better opportunities.
Red Tiger Eye (Tiger’s Eye, Tigereye) is a stimulating stone and can support motivation and a more active sex drive. Use Red Tiger Eye with the Root Chakra to ground sexual ideas into the physical world, or to resolve sexual issues that are causing problems in a relationship. Its focus on the lower chakras is what gives red Tiger Eye the power to send higher energies through the organs of the lower half of the body. Red Tiger Eye aids in enhancing confidence and self-esteem. It provides motivation to the non-motivated and energizes those who are feeling lethargic.
While all forms of Tiger Eye help to raise vibrations, they also connect these energies to the lower Chakras in balance, which keeps one from feeling disconnected when working with higher goals. Carry Red Tiger Eye in your pocket when you want to add vitality and passion to any project you’re working on. Red Tiger Eye can enhance balance within one’s energy field, and allows one to open up to unconditional love.
Precious and Semi-precious gemstones have been used since recorded history and probably before, for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. Healers all over the world are using them. Please note Crystal Healing is not meant to replace conventional medicine, but rather to compliment and enhance it. It is not to be used as a prescription, diagnosis or treatment. The information given is purely metaphysical in nature and is by no means medical. Crystal Healing is not an independent therapy, but one that is part of a holistic healing approach. By using this site and associated materials, you acknowledge and agree that you personally assume responsibility for your use or misuse of this information.
Which Hand To Wear Tiger Eye Bracelet
Gentlemen using the left hand chiefly as their functioning hand, for registering files etc.. should wear the tiger eye bracelet from the left hand. Ladies who want profits in connection business should wear tiger eye bead bracelet on their left hand. Females who pursuits prosperity should wear tiger eye stone bracelet at Right hand for optimal effects.
Made with love, light, and positive energy, cleansed.
2 1/2 C Fresh blackberries, washed 1 C Sugar 1 C Flour 2 t Baking powder 1/2 t Salt 1 C Milk 1 Stick of butter, melted Stir together just the berries and sugar in a large bowl and let it sit out for 25-30 minutes. This will bring out the juices of the blackberries so that they can be sweetened up by the sugar. After about 20 minutes, you should turn on the oven to about 375º and start preparing your batter. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and milk with a wooden spoon. Next, stir in the melted butter and hand-mix it until the ingredients are well mixed and you have few clumps. Pick out a clean baking dish, a smaller one will do. Pour in the batter and smooth it out. Don’t grease the pan (there is enough butter in there already!). Finally, pour the blackberries on top with all the sugar included and evenly distribute it over the batter. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how golden you prefer it to be. Let it set up for a good 15 minutes so it will hold its shape. It will be quite hot, so be careful! Serve warm or room temperature with warmed cream, fresh whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. You can store this at room temperature with foil over it for 2-3 days, probably longer in the fridge.
On August 20th 1612 ten people convicted of witchcraft at the Summer Assize held in Lancaster Castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. Among their number were two men and a woman in her eighties. Their crimes included laming, causing madness and what was termed “simple” witchcraft. In addition to this some sixteen unexplained deaths, many stretching back decades, were laid at their door.
Lancashire, in the early years of the seventeenth century, was remote, its roads poor, its people ill-educated. Throughout the county there were places where the outside world hardly intruded, and one such area was Pendle Forest. It was here, among stark hillsides, infertile valleys and scattered hamlets, that the story of the Pendle Witches had its beginnings.
AN ILL-FATED MEETING
On March 18th 1612 a young woman by the name of Alison Device was out begging on the road to Colne. She stopped a peddler from Halifax, John Law, and asked him for a pin. He refused her request and walked away. According to Alison’s own testimony her ‘familiar spirit’ in the shape of a dog, appeared to her and asked if she would like him to harm Law. Alison was new to the art of witchcraft, indeed she seems to have resisted being indoctrinated into what was in effect the family business. But now she agreed that Law must be punished and she told the dog to lame the peddler. No doubt to her great surprise, the curse took immediate effect and Law fell to the ground, paralysed down one side (presumably by a stroke) and unable to speak. He was taken to a local inn and later Alison was brought to his bedside. She admitted her part in his illness and begged his forgiveness, which he gave. However, Law’s son Abraham had become involved, and he was far from satisfied. He took the matter to Roger Nowell the local magistrate, and from there things snowballed at an alarming rate. After hearing the most awful admissions from those he interviewed, Nowell made many arrests. By the end of April nineteen people (including a group from Samlesbury and Isobel Roby from Windle) were incarcerated in Lancaster Castle, awaiting trial at the August Assize.
THE PENDLE ACCUSED AND THEIR CRIMES
The most famous of the Pendle witches actually died before coming to trial. Elizabeth Southernes (“Old Demdike”) had admitted to Nowell that she was a witch. In so doing she also implicated many of her co-accused, as did Anne Whittle (“Old Chattox”) who was herself accused of the murder by witchcraft of Robert Nutter. Also implicated were members of both their families: Elizabeth Device, Demdike’s daughter, was accused of two murders, as was her son James, while Alison was to stand trial for what she had done to John Law on that fateful spring day five months before. Anne Redfearne, Chattox’s daughter, stood accused of the murder of Christopher Nutter eighteen years previously.
Others were dragged into the affair: John and Jane Bulcock, a mother and her son, were tried for causing madness, and for being at a so-called Witches Sabbath held at Malkin Tower on Good Friday 1612; Alice Nutter from Roughlee Hall, was accused of killing one Henry Mitton because he refused to give Demdike a penny; Margaret Pearson was accused of bewitching one of her neighbour’s horses to death, and Katherine Hewitt was accused of the murder of Ann Foulds.
THE TRIALS; DAY ONE
Lancaster formed part of the Northern Circuit, and the Assize Court judges visited the town twice a year. The trials commenced on Tuesday 18th August with Sir Edward Bromley presiding. First into the dock was Old Chattox. She was accused of the murder of Robert Nutter some eighteen years previously. She pleaded not guilty, but eventually confessed when confronted by evidence given by Demdike and James Device to Roger Nowell back in April. Elizabeth Device followed her into court. She stood charged with three counts of murder, accusations she vehemently denied. However, the Prosecution had a star witness in the form of Elizabeth’s own nine year old daughter Jennet. Her evidence was devastating, and Elizabeth was so overcome with anger that she had to be removed from court. Jennet told of familiar spirits, of the making of clay images in order to cause death, of the Sabbath supposedly held at Malkin Tower on Good Friday, where it was decided to blow up the castle and kill the Governor, Thomas Covell, in order to free those imprisoned there. She spoke of witches mounting ponies and flying off on them before vanishing into thin air. Inevitably, Elizabeth was found guilty as well.
James Device was tried next. He was in a pitiable condition, and may even have been physically ill-treated during his imprisonment. However, there was little sympathy for him and after more hearsay evidence, and his own testimony, he was found guilty along with Elizabeth Device and Anne Whittle.
THE SAMLESBURY WITCHES
Although nothing to do with the Pendle case this trial is extremely interesting, because it hints at a hidden agenda behind all the trials. Three women were accused of practising witchcraft on the person of Grace Sowerbutts, a teenage girl who was related to the defendants. However, the accused were able to “convince” the judge that they were victims of a Catholic plot, and were all acquitted.
THE TRIALS: DAY TWO
Anne Redfearne had already been acquitted of one murder. Now she was tried for killing Christopher Nutter eighteen years previously. The evidence hinged on Nutter’s daughter remembering that her father believed he was the victim of a curse. She had also been seen making clay images by James Device. Anne was found guilty. Next into the dock was Alice Nutter. She was a gentlewoman, and the evidence against her was flimsy. However, her fate was sealed by Jennet Device, who identified her as being present at the infamous Sabbath. Alice too, was convicted. The trial of Katherine Hewitt “Mouldheels” went much the same way, with little Jennet again the star witness. Katherine was convicted as well. Jennet’s evidence against John and Jane Bulcock was even more slight: she remembered John turning a spit on which they had roasted a lamb that Good Friday. It was illegal to aid or assist a witch, and this was enough in 1612, along with other hearsay evidence, to seal the fate of both defendants.
Margaret Pearson was tried for killing a horse by riding it to death (“Hag Ridden” from which we get the modern word “haggard”) She was convicted, although ultimately not condemned.
Alizon Device was the last of the Pendle witches to be tried. Unusually, the key witness against her was also the victim: John Law. He was the object of much pity, as his brush with Alison had left him crippled. When he was assisted into court Alison rushed to him and begged his forgiveness once more, which he again gave. The court was moved to ask her if she could help restore him to health. She told them she was not powerful enough, but that Old Demdike, had she lived, could have done so. Alison was found guilty.
Isobel Roby, from Windle, also stood trial on charges of witchcraft at this Assize, and she too was convicted.
All that remained was for the sentences to be handed down. Bromley had little option: under the terms of the 1604 Witchcraft Act all the accused had been found guilty of crimes punishable by death. On August 20th 1612 the ten condemned prisoners were taken to the moors above the town and hanged.
A WONDERFULL DISCOVERIE
The trials in Lancaster in August 1612 are among the most famous witchcraft trials in history. This is mainly due to the fact that we have a very full (albeit biased) account of them, left to us by the Clerk of the Court, Thomas Potts. In 1613 he published his account of these events in a book entitled “The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster.” This is our only real primary source for what was going on in the more remote areas of Lancashire over all those years, and Potts was writing for an audience which included King James I himself, and one which was more than ready to believe in the existence of such evil. This was also a time of great tension, and of anti-Catholic rhetoric. The Gunpowder Plot was still fresh in the memory, and Potts chose to dedicate his book to Lord Knyvett, the man who had actually arrested Guy Fawkes in 1605. Politics and religion played their part in the prosecutions and convictions in Lancaster in 1612, but the inescapable fact remains that at the end of the day ten people lost their lives, found guilty of a crime that no longer even officially exists.
The color silver is illuminating and reflective; it is a feminine energy related to the moon … it’s ebbs and flows, it’s mysteries, it’s emotions.
Silver enhances good communication, physic abilities and intuition as well as patience and perseverance. Silver encourages us to be unbiased, compassionate and to view situations with a mature sense of justice.
Silver can guide us to knowing what is best for ourselves. It prompts us to pause and reflect on our lives; to examine those things we want to keep close to us and what we want to rid ourselves of. Silver helps us to stay balanced as we look at these issues and cleanse ourselves of and release the negativity that weighs us down. It will also help you keep your equilibrium as you wrap yourself in it’s spiritual power. Let the color silver guide you, help you remove emotional, mental and physical obstacles … it opens new doors for you and lights the way to a brighter future.
Looking at Egyptian, Pagan, Tibetan, Navajo, and Hopi life and rituals we find a common belief of silver metaphysical properties and silver natural healing methods. Sounds a bit far out? Remember…
“Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they’re open.”
– Thomas Robert “Tommy” Dewar
Whereas gold is the metal of the sun, silver is the metal of the moon. Like the moon and water, silver is reflective and used to mirror the soul bringing people calm and balance. Silver is used to ‘draw down the moon’ during lunar ceremonies, giving the wearer use of the moons energy and protecting them from negativity.
Silver’s connection to the spiritual life is mostly seen in traditional cultures where people live in union and deep respect for the earth. For example, the Tibetans spiritual silver jewelry is often combined with gemstones and crystals which then resonate their healing vibrations more strongly. Another aspect of the silver natural healing belief is that wearing this jewelry brings the wearer more in tune with the vibrations and flow of the universe. It is the metal of emotions, love and healing. Silver’s properties are strongest during the new and full moon.
Silver Metaphysical Properties and
Silver Mystical Properties
manifestation of wealth, riches, and health
improves quality of speech and brings eloquence to conversations
calming and balancing
reflects away negativity and evil intentions
brings the wearer more in tune with the flow of the universe
like the moon and water, a mirror to the soul
increases strength of perception
awakens and increases psychic and intuitive capacities
provides strong connection between physical and astral bodies
increases the strength of gemstones and crystals, particularly Moonstone, Amethyst, Quartz, and Turquoise
high malleability (ability to be shaped), enables the user/wearer to bend energies, creating vital energy centers
placed on your forehead, activates and opens your Third Eye Chakra
astrologically associated with Cancer and Aquarius, the element Water, and direction West
I wear a silver bead necklace and since buying it have been feeling the flow strongly.
Why not put on some silver jewelry, go for a walk under the new or full moon? See how you feel…
Wear your silver to bed increasing your chances of psychic dreams… see what comes to you…
Marigolds are herbaceous plants, some perennial, some annual, of the Asteraceae family, the blooms made up of many tiny florets. They are native to North and South America but are popular garden plants throughout the world. Some of the more popular cultivated varieties are Mexican Marigold Tagetes erecta and French Marigold Tagetes patula.
History and Folklore
The Latin name Tagetes comes from the name Tages, an Etruscan prophet of ancient fame who taught others about divination. The common name, marigold, is from Mary’s Gold, though it was originally applied to calendula.
The marigold is an important flower in certain religious ceremonies in Nepal and is used to decorate Hindu temples in India. Marigold is considered the flower of the dead in Mexico where it is used to decorate ancestral altars for Day of the Dead celebrations. After the Spanish invasion, the Aztecs viewed the marigold flower as a symbol of the Spanish invasion and the massacre of their people and destruction of their way of life.
In the language of flowers, marigold means “pain and grief” or signifies a wish to comfort one who is grieving.
Growing Marigold
Marigold is easy to grow as an annual. There are some perennial varieties that grow well in tropical areas that can also be grown as as an annual in more temperate regions. Marigold can be grown from seed or young plants can be readily purchased at just about any nursery or the gardening section of your favorite big box store. It’s not picky about soil though they prefer it to be well-drained. Marigolds need a good sunny spot to thrive. Plant your marigolds in the spring as soon as the soil is warm and the danger of frost is past. If you keep your marigolds happy, they will bloom from spring right through to fall.
The scent of marigold is said to repel some insects and animals and chemicals released by their roots are said to repel nematodes. Because of this, it is considered an excellent companion plant for just about any other plant. However, it should not be used with legumes.
Marigold provides food for some species of butterflies and their larvae.
Healing with Marigold
The essential oil of Tagetes minuta or stinking Roger, usually sold as Tagetes oil can be used as an insect repellent and to prevent and help heal fungal and bacterial infections of the skin. It can be added to bath water or a vaporizer to help sooth coughs or added to a wash to help speed the healing of wounds, especially those that are weeping and slow to heal. A tea can be used for intestinal worms.
Tagetes oil is also used for aromatherapy to relieve tension and promote clear thinking and emotional control.
Tagetes lucida is used to in a tea to treat abdominal cramps, and in a bath to treat rheumatism, but it is also rumored to be strongly psychoactive and should be used with care.
Culinary Uses of Marigold
Tegates minuta is used as a culinary herb in South America where it is called huacatay. Tegates lucida is known as pericón or Texas tarragon is also used as a culinary herb and is used to make an anise-flavored tea in Mexico.
The petals of Tegates erecta flowers can be used in salads and to create a bright yellow dye.
Magical and Spiritual Use of Marigold
Mexican marigold resonates with the energy of the sun
Tagetes lucida has a psychoactive action and has been smoked ceremonially in combination with Nicotiana rustica when peyote was eaten and it may be drunk as a tea to promote visions.
All types of marigolds can be used as offerings to the dead and as decoration for ancestor altars.
Marigold Lore and Magic
Marigold must be taken only when the moon is in the Sign of the Virgin… And the gatherer, who must be out of deadly sin, must say three Pater Nosters and three Aves. It will give the wearer a vision of anyone who has robbed him.
Marigolds are a sturdy annual and quite familiar. They have been domesticated into a variety of sizes, some with tiny flowers, and others large and magnificent. Most have a golden color, but may range from bright yellow to deep, dark hues. The flowers may be gathered when in full bloom and hung upside down in a warm and dry place until the petals are completely dry.
They were said to relieve hiccups and the effects of being struck by lightning. No wonder they were considered magical plants. The marigold has healing properties and is used as a natural antifungal, antiseptic, and antibacterial treatment. Add the fresh flowers to salad greens and eat to promote good health and strengthen the immune system.
Make a tea by steeping the flowers and drink to solve love problems. Pour a quart of the tea into your bathwater on a Sunday to increase your popularity and admiration among peers. The seeds are sacred to Apollo and, when eaten, bring visions.
The marigold flower is rife with a variety of symbolism. To start, these flowers are called “the flower of the sun” and are representative of passion, warmth and creativity. To others, this flower is a symbol of comfort and contentment with simplicity. As a gift, marigolds may be a great expression of either warm or fiercely passionate love, or a simple way of saying that you feel happy and comfortable with the recipient. These flowers are sometimes given in themed gift baskets, but they are most commonly used in vibrant bouquets.
There are a number of different flowers commonly known as the Marigold, and when it comes to lore and magic, it can be confusing.
Common marigold (Tagetes) – Originally from South America, has been used as a source of essential oil for the perfume, and as a flavourant and food coloring in the food and tobacco industries. Tagetes is not to be confused with the genus Calendula, which goes by “marigold” in some areas.
Pot marigold (Calendula) – Flowers were used in ancient Greek, Roman, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures as a medicinal herb as well as a dye for fabrics, foods and cosmetics.
Mexican marigold (Tagetes erecta) – Dried leaves are ground into a powder then used as a tarragon substitute for flavoring soups, sauces etc. A pleasant anise-flavored tea, popular in Latin America, is brewed using the dried leaves and flowering tops. The petals are used as a condiment.
Tree marigold (Tithonia diversifolia) – Having a characteristic bitter taste, they were used to induce a fever to help fight poisoning, although not used for direct medicinal purposes.
Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) -A genus of three species in the aster family. Baileya species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species (butterflies).
Corn marigold (Glebionis segetum) – In Crete and Greece, the leaves and the tender shoots of a variety called neromantilida (νερομαντηλίδα) are eaten raw in salads or browned in hot olive oil by the locals.
French marigold (Tagetes patula) -Medicinally, many cultures use infusions from dried leaves or florets.The whole plant is harvested when in flower and distilled for its essential oil
Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) – As is the case with many members of the family Ranunculaceae, all parts of the plant are poisonous and can be irritant. Skin rashes and dermatitis have been reported from excessive handling of the plant.
Much of the traditional herbal lore and older magical information about the Marigold, is actually referring to the Pot Marigold or Calendula. What follows is what I have found that I am sure relates to the Common Marigold (tagates).
Marigolds are used as Visionary Herbes, and are part of the lore of Mexico. In that country it is sometimes said that they have their origin in the blood of the native peoples slain by the invading Spaniards. Marigolds are found in recipes for love divination, and it is also said that they give off bright sparks of light during a thunderstorm.
The species Tagetes lucida, known as “pericón,” is used to prepare a sweetish, anise flavored medicinal tea in Mexico, brewed using the dried leaves and flowering tops. It is also used as a culinary herb in many warm climates. Dried leaves are ground into a powder then used as a tarragon substitute for flavoring soups, sauces etc. and offered in the nursery as “Texas tarragon” or “Mexican mint marigold.”
The petals are used as a condiment. A yellow dye can be obtained from the flowers. The dried plant is burnt as an incense and to repel insects.
The marigold was regarded as the flower of the dead in pre-Hispanic Mexico, parallel to the lily in Europe, and is still widely used in the Day of the Dead celebrations to decorate ofrendas, papier mache and ceramic statues, altars, and graves of family members. This is because their scent is thought to draw back the souls of the dead.
Tagetes lucida was used by the Aztecs in their ritual incense known as Yauhtli. Aztecs used Tagete lucida both as a medicine and in rituals where they blew a powder made from the flowers on the faces of victims before the sacrifice.The plants was linked to the rain’s god Tlaloc. The plant is also used by the Huichol, mixed with a potent wild tobacco (Nicotiana rustica), for its claimed psychotropic and entheogenic effects.
Tagetes minuta, native to southern South America is a tall upright marigold plant with small flowers, and is used as a culinary herb in Peru, Ecuador, and parts of Chile and Bolivia, where it is called by the Incan term huacatay. Huacatay paste is used to make the popular potato dish called ocopa. Having both “green” and “yellow/orange” notes, the taste and odor of fresh Tagetes minuta is like a mixture of sweet basil, tarragon, mint and citrus. It is also used as a medicinal tea in some areas.
The marigold is very significant in Nepalese culture where marigold garlands are used almost in every household especially during the Tihar festival. It is always sold in the markets for daily worships and rituals.
The marigold is also widely cultivated in India and Thailand, particularly the species Tagates erecta, Tagates patula, and Tagates tenuifolia. Vast quantities of marigolds are used in garlands and decoration for weddings, festivals, and religious events.
In Ukraine, Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula, and the signet marigold, Tagetes tenuifolia are regarded as one of the national symbols, and are often mentioned in songs, poems and tales.
Honeysuckles are shrubs or vines with opposite oval-shaped leaves and their signature sweet-smelling tubular flowers. The flowers contain sweet nectar, but the fruit is poisonous. There are more than 100 varieties of Lonicera, about a dozen of which are used medicinally
History and Folklore
The sturdy stems of honeysuckle have been used to make rope as far back as the Bronze Age, and in parts of Britain are still commonly made into bridles and harnesses for pack ponies. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s work, ‘wodebyne’ is a symbol of steadfastness in love, and Shakespeare wrote of it in Act IV, Scene i of A Midsummer’s Nights Dream:
Sleep thou, and I will wind thee in my arms…
So doth the woodbine the sweet honeysuckle
Gently entwist;
The name honeysuckle comes from the tradition of children biting off the ends of the flowers to enjoy the drops of nectar inside.
Propagation
Most varieties of honeysuckle grow well between zones 5 and 8. Many exotic honeysuckles are considered invasive noxious weeds, so check the DNR or Department of Conservation to see what species are native to your area and consider planting those instead.
Harvesting & Storage
Because invasive honeysuckles are such a problem in many areas, it is recommended that you take care when wild-crafting to leave the native honeysuckles alone and make free with the exotic ones.
Varieties
Japanese Honeysuckle L. japonica is a vine with white flowers, sometimes tinted purple that change to yellow as they mature and small black fruit. It is native to Japan and was once used in the US as an ornamental ground cover and may also have been imported for its medicinal qualities. It has since escaped cultivation and is now considered an exotic weed and its sale is prohibited in some areas in some areas particularly in the Midwest United States.
Bush Honeysuckle L. tatarica L. (Tartarian), L. morrowii Gray (Marrows), L. x bella (Belle), L. maackii (Amur) Are native to Asia and Western Europe and considered to be dangerous invasive species in much of the united states. They are very pretty plants and were once popular ornamental.
Grape Honeysuckle L. reticulata A woody vine native to the United States. It is found along forest boarders and woody slopes. It is considered endangered in Kentucky and Tennessee and should not be wild-crafted there but can be cultivated in a sunny spot in sandy or loamy soil with moderate moisture. Tubular yellow flowers, sometimes tinged orange or pink at the tips, appear in May and June followed by red berries.
Yellow Honeysuckle L. flava
Limber Honeysuckle L. dioica
European Honeysuckle L. periclymenum also known as Woodbine
Coral Honeysuckle L. sempervirens
Common Honeysuckle L. caprifolium aka Dutch honeysuckle, Italian honeysuckle, woodbine. This is the honeysuckle most of the old European herbalists are talking about when they recommend honeysuckle for healing.
Magical Attributes
Honeysuckle is associated by Culpeper with the planet Mercury and the sign Cancer. According to other sources it is associated with the planet Venus and the element of Earth. Honeysuckle flowers may be used in spells designed to determine the true worth of a person or thing. They may be burned in a censer or steep the flowers in wine, strain and drink.
Honeysuckle flowers may also be added to a Honey Jar.
The vines of the honeysuckle plant may symbolically twined together to bind two lovers to ensure fidelity and desire for each other.
Create a wreath of the flowering vines to encircle a money-drawing candle to increase its effectiveness. Or burn honeysuckle to support any money drawing spell.
Honeysuckle brought into a home will help ensure a good marriage for the people who live there.
Grow honeysuckle near your home to attract love, luck and wealth and to protect your garden from negative influences.
The scent of honeysuckle is said to clear the mind, stimulate psychic powers, sharpen intuition, encourage psychic dreams, sweeten any mood and stimulate generosity. A flower rubbed on the forehead is said to increase psychic abilities.
Healing Attributes
Common Honeysuckle L. periclymenum has traditionally been used for coughs, asthma and other respiratory complaints, as well as a diuretic and laxative, although its use is uncommon in modern herbalism due to the toxicity of the plant.
Japanese honeysuckle L. japonica is antibacterial and used to treat a number of infections and inflammations. An infusion of the stems may be used to clean minor abrasions to prevent infections or a poultice may be used to treat skin infections, inflammations and rashes such as those caused by contact dermatitis.
++Caution
Despite honeysuckles traditional medicinal uses and sweet reputation, some people have been known to develop contact dermatitis from handling the plant. Taken internally in large doses, the plant is emetic and toxic.
Associated Dieties: The Cedar wood tree is sacred to Artemis, Sezh and Persephone.
Cedar is a sacred tree of Celtic Astrology 9 February to 18 February. Cedar is associated with the goldfinch.
Druids sometimes associated this tree with the Tree of Life.
Norse peoples sometimes referred the Tree of Life to as Grandmother Cedar.
Associated with the Greek Goddess Persephone during her detainment in the Underworld.
Associated with the Celt Goddess Sezh that watches over the realm of fertility, herbs, and trees.
Used by King Solomon, one of the greatest mystics of all time, in the building of the temple in Jerusalem.
Cedar is sacred to the feast of Imbolc, also referred to by Elvish tradition the Feast of Shava.
Jewish traditions hold the Cedar tree in the highest regards. No tree is mentioned more in the Jewish Torah than the Cedar tree.
Cedar is one of the traditional nine woods used in the Druid balefire. www.teenwitch.com
Magickal Properties
Magical Properties: Cedar wands cleanse negative atmospheres. Cedar wands are available at: www.dragonoak.com
Cedar wood is used for the creation of sacred spaces.
DragonOak has found Cedar wood to be related to longevity, protection, and preservation.
Often used to summon helpful spirits during rituals and invocations.
DragonOak recommends using cedar as a symbol, charm, and talisman to represents propriety, long life, and growth.
The Cherokee believe the Cedar tree to hold powerful ancestor spirits bestowed by Ouga (Creator) in the beginning of existence.
Cedar above the entry door will drive away negative influences and evil spirits.
Cedar wood is often used to cleanse, heal, and protect.
Cedar trees can be planted to preserve sacred spots, forests, and groves.
Cedars shavings can be ritually burnt to dedicate sacred spaces.
Use Cedar wood in solar spells of all kinds that are designed to strengthen and illuminate your focus.
Cedarwood
Cedrus atlantica
Natural Clear Vision E-book
Cedrus or cedar, a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae, is indigenous to Lebanon, western Syria and south central Turkey. The essential oil of cedarwood is obtained from the timber of this tree by a process known as steam distillation. While cedarwood essential oil has been used for time immemorial by the indigenous people of the regions for therapeutic purposes, the earliest man used this essential oil in preserving mummies.
Similar to several other essential oils, the use of cedarwood essential oil is traced to the ancient Egyptians. Information available from ancient records reveals that the primeval Egyptians used this essential oil as embalming or preservative oil. In addition they also used this oil for cosmetic purposes. Since the oil is extracted from the real woody part of the cedarwood trees, it possesses a wood-like and zesty fragrance.
As mentioned earlier, cedarwood essential oil has been used for several thousand years by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians who used it for treating different medical conditions. In addition, the ancient Egyptians used the oil extensively to prepare incense. Even to this day, Buddhists in Tibet still use the essential oil obtained from the timber of cedarwood trees to prepare incense that is used during ceremonies. On the other hand, the primeval Egyptians especially used this essential oil to preserve mummies. In fact, cedarwood essential oil formed a very important part of the entire mummification process.
While cedarwood essential oil possesses several therapeutic properties, it is usually used as a tranquilizer for its sedative effect. In addition, this superb oil is also an extremely helpful substance that is commonly used in products meant for skincare. Cedarwood essential oil is generally incorporated in products meant for aromatherapy for the oil’s aptitude to provide relaxation and relieve stress. Use of this essential oil is suggested in combinations with other oils in aromatherapy diffusers since applying the oil in this process also yields the same benefits.
Apart from being useful in alleviating stress and strain, cedarwood essential oil is also a stimulant and its tonic properties facilitate tautening and toning up the body muscles, together with the stomach muscles. This oil has other therapeutic properties too. While it helps to enhance the functioning of the brain, it also tones up the skin. At the same time, cedarwood essential oil augments the metabolic activities of the body, thereby aiding in weight loss and regulating the body weight of an individual.
As cedarwood essential oil possesses antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, it is effective in treating a number of ailments. This oil may be used topically on wounds to clean the injuries as well as avoid contagions, such as tetanus. At the same time, this essential oil may also be used internally in very low concentrations to treat as well as keep off a number of ailments. When cedarwood oil is used in an aromatherapy diffuser, a compress or even in the air, it has the aptitude to lessen coughing. Furthermore, this essential oil is also useful in treating different problems related to the digestive tract.
Cedarwood oil is also an excellent expectorant (a medication or substance that helps in discharging phlegm or other fluids from the respiratory tract) and, therefore, it may be used instead of the traditional expectorant medications containing chemicals to cure cough and respiratory tract congestion that are associated with conditions, such as flu, colds and allergies. In addition, cedarwood oil is also effective in treating symptoms like headache, runny nose and itchy, red or watery eyes.
In fact, when people suffering from allergy, flu and cold use this essential oil they fall asleep quickly and rest more profoundly. This action of the oil is attributed to the sedative property of cedarwood essential oil.
As aforesaid, cedarwood essential oil is a potent emmenagogue and, hence, beneficial for women. In other words, this oil stimulated the flow of blood in the pelvic region. If used in appropriate dosages, this oil has the aptitude to encourage menstruation and also regulate the monthly menstrual cycle when it becomes irregular. Apart from these, this oil is also helpful as it is effective in alleviating nausea, pain and exhaustion related with menstruation and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).
Similar to several other essential oils that are potent and have zesty fragrance, cedarwood essential oil is also an effective insect repellent. You may use this oil in an aromatherapy oil diffuser or in a vaporiser in the kitchen, garden, garage or other places in your house that are infested with insects. You will be amazed to see how fast the aroma of this oil drives away insects, flies and mosquitoes. If you want to use this oil to keep places that are comparatively less infested by insects clear, add a few drops of cedarwood essential oil in three or four cotton balls and place them in different areas in the house which are somewhat infested by insects. For instance, you may place these cotton balls containing the oil on the kitchen window, corners of the basement, pantry and such other areas. In addition, both cedarwood as well as the essential oil obtained from the timber of cedarwood trees are exceptional natural repellents that help to protect the clothes from moths and carpet moths.
In fact, the timber or wood of the cedarwood trees are known to be self-preserving and do not decay easily. As a result, this wood is utilized in several outdoor applications without requiring any treatment for durability. The natural oil present in the timber of cedarwood is said to be responsible for the self-preserving property of the wood of this tree.
As mentioned earlier, cedarwood essential oil is extracted from the timber of the tree through a process known as steam distillation. The timber of this tree also provides different qualities of chips and sawdust. The steam distillation process involves pumping steam into a chamber where cedarwood sawdust and chips are placed from before. The steam makes the oil cells in the sawdust and chips burst open and blend with it. Later, when the steam is cooled, the water and the essential oil are separated.
Cedarwood essential oil is comforting, reinforcing and also possesses a wood-like balmy scent. As a result of these characteristics of this essential oil, it is used to prepare perfumes with a view to add body and a warm tepid tone to any blend. This oil is also used as a room fragrance or potpourris owing to its pleasing warm and woody scent. Since ancient times, people have been using this oil to treat several ailments as it possesses a number of therapeutic properties. It is very potent astringent oil that is effective in protecting and nurturing oily as well as flawed skin. Cedarwood essential oil aids in fighting cellulite (lumps of fatty deposits, especially in the thighs and buttocks).
Cedarwood essential oil is extracted from the wood of Atleas cedar wood (botanical name Cedrus atlantica) and produces an incredible comforting effect on the body as well as the mind. This oil possesses astringent properties and hence is capable of curing toothache and even has the aptitude to tauten the gums around the teeth. The astringent property of cedarwood essential oil also helps to provide the muscles with the suppleness of a youth. In addition, this oil also tones up the skin by tightening the pores of the skin. This action of cedarwood essential oil protects the skin pores from letting in dust or any harmful microbes into the body. Cedarwood oil is especially effective for tightening the facial skin and giving it a youthful appearance.
Cedarwood essential oil is also anti-sebhorroeic – an extraordinary property that is not present in most essential oils. The anti-sebhorroeic property of this essential oil aids in getting rid of the horrific skin ailment known as seborrhoea. In fact, seborrhoea (an extreme and anomalous discharge from the sebaceous glands) is basically caused owing to the failure of the sebaceous glands in the skin to function properly. The sebaceous glands present in the skin are responsible for oil production and need to be always kept moist as well as supple. However, when the sebaceous glands stop functioning normally, they usually become infected by various microbes. This, in turn, results in the skin becoming grey or white and it eventually peels off.
In such cases, cedarwood essential oil is used as a stimulant or moisturizer and it helps to get rid of the infections as well as normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands. In fact, using cedarwood oil helps to eliminate seborrhoea perpetually. Since cedarwood essential oil has the ability to regulate the skin condition and tone it up, it is also effective in healing other conditions related to the skin, such as acne, dandruff and skin ailments and infections.
Cedarwood essential oil has a beneficial effect on the skin as well as the pores on it. Owing to this property of this essential oil, it forms an important ingredient in many men’s skin care products, including shaving cream and similar products. At times, cedarwood essential oil is also blended with other essential oils in skin care products for better results. Cedarwood essential oil possesses both anti-septic as well as astringent characteristics, which together provide a warm and woody fragrance that makes an incredible addition for men’s shaving products. Cedarwood essential oil is also an excellent addition to skin care products like aromatherapy bath oils, face masks and body butter.
The essential oil extracted from the timber of cedarwood trees is also used as potpourris as mentioned before, especially used as a room freshener by means of an aromatherapy oil diffuser. When the room is scented with the aroma of cedarwood oil, it will produce a comforting, peaceful and sedative effect. This is because cedarwood oil is a potent tranquilizer. Since cedarwood essential oil possesses extreme sedative properties, it is often recommended to get relief from stress and strain. In addition, using this oil also helps to unwind the muscles and provide comfort. This essential oil is particularly beneficial for people who remain tense and stressed most of the time. When such people use cedarwood essential oil blended with other essential oils in aromatherapy, it helps to provide them comfort, peace and relief from stress and strain. An aromatherapy massage with this essential oil is also effective in relaxing the muscles as well as the mind. In effect, cedarwood essential oil is especially effective in comforting and calming the stressed and nervous mind and also relieving anxiety.
Many products that meant for aromatherapy usually enclose cedarwood essential oil, particularly those products that are intended for use more during the evening, for instance, aromatherapy bath oils or body butters.
Cedarwood essential oil is an excellent remedy for inducing sleep, particularly when an individual suffers from sleeplessness or insomnia due to stress and nervous anxiety. Owing to its potent sedative property, cedarwood essential oil is generally used in aromatherapy oil diffuser to provide relief from sleeplessness or insomnia and its symptoms. Usually, cedarwood essential oil is combined with lavender oil to help provide relief from the symptoms of insomnia. It may be mentioned here that lavender oil is excellent aromatherapy oil for treating insomnia.
In addition to its various other remedial properties, the essential oil obtained from the timber of cedarwood trees is especially effective in providing a comfort and unwinding the stressed mind and body. Hence, in aromatherapy, this oil is extensively used to provide relaxation and alleviate stress and strain. Below are some of the specific benefits of using the cedarwood essential oil.
Cedarwood oil is very effective in alleviating tooth aches. In addition, regular use of this of this oil helps to protect the teeth from slackening off, as it has the aptitude to toughen the clasp of the gums on the teeth.
Cedarwood essential oil has the aptitude to invigorate the metabolic system and also tone up different physiological systems of our body. In effect, cedarwood essential oil is also used internally as a tonic to invigorate the metabolic process as well as other systems.
This wonderful oil obtained from the wood of cedarwood trees is also antiseptic and helps in protecting wounds and lesions from tetanus germs, thereby preventing them from becoming septic. In fact, the cedarwood essential oil is an important element in several herbal ointments that are meant for antiseptic use.
Cedarwood essential oil possesses anti-spasmodic properties and hence, it is effective in alleviating all types of spasms – inclusive of spasms in the muscles, heart, respiratory tract and the intestines.
In addition, cedarwood oil also possesses anti-inflammatory properties and is often recommended to treat seborrhoea – an aliment caused due to the failure of the sebaceous glands, which, in turn, caused contagion of the epidermal cells.
This oil is also diuretic and helps in increasing the outflow of urine. As using cedarwood essential oil results in frequent urination, it helps in eliminating surplus water, body fats and toxins from our body. This oil is generally recommended to treat several medical conditions, such as obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), gout, arthritis, rheumatism and also infections in the urinary tract.
Cedarwood essential oil is also a potent astringent that helps to close the skin pores. This action of the oil protects the skin from dust and harmful microbes.
The oil obtained from the cedarwood timber is also beneficial for women. As this oil is a powerful emmenagogue (a medication or substance that increases menstrual flow), it aids in lessening the symptoms related to menstruation and, at the same time, controls the menstruation cycle.
While cedarwood essential oil possesses several remedial properties and is used to treat as well as prevent many conditions, it is used most extensively for its tranquilizing characteristic. This oil is a very powerful sedative and hence, has a soothing effect on the body as well as the mind. This oil is widely recommended to alleviate stress and treat many inflammatory conditions. As the oil is effective in providing relief from stress and strain, it has a comforting effect on our body and mind.
Cedarwood oil also possesses anti-fungal properties and is often used to treat fungal infections.
In addition, herbalists as well as other medical practitioners recommend this oil to treat diverse conditions, such as bronchitis, acne and dandruff.
Cedarwood essential oil is also used to treat diarrhea.
The oil extracted from the timber of cedarwood essential oil also possesses expectorant properties (ability to draw out phlegm and mucus) and, hence, is widely used to cure cold, cough and congestion of the respiratory tract.
Cedarwood oil provides relief from arthritis, gout and rheumatism when massaged on the throbbing joints.
This oil also induces sleep. Hence, people enduring sleeping disorders or problems may rub a few drop of cedarwood essential oil on the temples before retiring to bed. This will help to have a sound and trouble-free sleep. It is especially useful for people suffering from insomnia.
In addition, cedarwood essential oil possesses a sedative effect and produces a soothing effect when applied topically on the temples, back of the neck and behind the ears.
Apart from its remedial uses, cedarwood essential oil is also an exceptional insect repellent. If you keep a few drops of this oil in a cotton wool in a wardrobe or drawer, it will help to keep moths and all crawling insects away. In fact, since ages, people have been using cedarwood balls as a substitute for mothballs.
Since cedarwood essential oil is an excellent insect repellent, it is often used in wardrobes to keep moths away from damaging the clothes.
This oil may also be used to preserve foods. This property of cedarwood essential oil was discovered by the ancient Egyptians while using the oil to embalm mummies. In addition, this oil may also be used to preserve animal hides. However, this is a very costly option considering the costs of buying unadulterated cedarwood oil in the market.
General properties
antiseptic
balancing
detoxifying
sedative
stimulant
Blends well with
bergamot
cypress
jasmine
juniper
neroli
rosemary
General uses
acne
alopecia
anxiety
arthritis
blood purifier
bronchitis
catarrh
colds and flu
coughs
cystitis
dandruff
dermatitis
eczema
gonorrhea
gout
hysteria
inflamed kidneys
insect repellent
insomnia
irritable skin
laryngitis
leukorrhea (vaginal discharge)
lymphatic congestion
oily skin
panic
premenstrual syndrome
psoriasis
seborrhea of scalp
shock
sore throat
stress
thrush
urinary tract infections
Precaution
The most important thing that you ought to bear in mind while purchasing cedarwood essential oil is that you do not buy the adulterated oil. In addition, you ought to be aware that though this oil is beneficial for treating numerous medical conditions, using cedarwood oil in high concentrations may result in irritations. Hence, it is advisable that you use low concentrations of this valuable oil. Moreover, this essential oil should not be used during pregnancy as it is an emmenagogue (a substance that causes increased menstrual flow) or by patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for treating cancer.
Cedarwood essential oil is very potent and hence, it ought to be only used in a watered down form while applying it topically on the skin for it may cause exasperation. In addition, before you actually apply this oil over large skin areas, you should first check if the oil is suitable for you by first applying it over a small area. The best way to check whether this oil suits your skin is to apply a small drop of the oil on your skin and observe for around 24 hours if its use causes any adverse reaction, including irritation.
If you intend to use this oil internally, it is essential that you consult a physician or a homeopathic medical practitioner before doing so. In fact, this should be done before one starts using cedarwood or any other essential oil internally.
In Celtic mythology, the warrior goddess known as the Morrighan often appears in the form of a crow or raven or is seen accompanied by a group of them. Typically, these birds appear in groups of three, and they are seen as a sign that the Morrighan is watching—or possibly getting ready to pay someone a visit.
In some tales of the Welsh myth cycle, the Mabinogion, the raven is a harbinger of death. Witches and sorcerers were believed to have the ability to transform themselves into ravens and fly away, thus enabling them to evade capture.
The Native Americans often saw the raven as a trickster, much like Coyote. There are a number of tales regarding the mischief of Raven, who is sometimes seen as a symbol of transformation. In the legends of various tribes, Raven is typically associated with everything from the creation of the world to the gift of sunlight to mankind. Some tribes knew the raven as a stealer of souls.
“In Native American folklore, the intelligence of crows is usually portrayed as their most important feature. In some tribes, the crow is conflated with the raven, a larger cousin of the crow that shares many of the same characteristics. In other tribes, Crow and Raven are distinct mythological characters. Crows are also used as clan animals in some Native American cultures.”
Some of the tribes with Crow clans include the Chippewa, the Hopi, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of the American Southwest.
For those who follow the Norse pantheon, Odin is often represented by the raven—usually a pair of them. Early artwork depicts him as being accompanied by two black birds, who are described in the Eddas as Huginn and Munnin. Their names translate to “thought” and “memory,” and their job is to serve as Odin’s spies, bringing him news each night from the land of men.
messengers of doom and gloom, it’s bad luck to kill a crow. If you accidentally do so, you’re supposed to bury it—and be sure to wear black when you do!
In some places, it’s not the sighting of a crow or raven itself, but the number that you see which is important. Mike Cahill at Creepy Basement says,
“Seeing just a single crow is considered an omen of bad luck. Finding two crows, however, means good luck. Three crows mean health, and four crows mean wealth. Yet spotting five crows means sickness is coming, and witnessing six crows means death is nearby.”
Even within the Christian religion, ravens hold a special significance. While they are referred to as “unclean” within the Bible, Genesis tells us that after the flood waters receded, the raven was the first bird Noah sent out from the ark to find land. Also, in the Hebrew Talmud, ravens are credited with teaching mankind how to deal with death; when Cain slew Abel, a raven showed Adam and Eve how to bury the body, because they had never done so before.
